Ryan Lavigne Of Louisiana Leads B.A.S.S. Nation Championship On Lake Conroe

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 18, 2016
CONROE, Texas — As a nonboater, Ryan Lavigne of Gonzales, La., was not expecting to be leading the entire tournament at the end of the second day at the 2016 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan on Lake Conroe. But when he brought in a 22-pound, 5-ounce five-bass limit on Friday, that’s exactly what happened.

Lavigne also won the title of Nonboater Champion, by being the top nonboater at the end of Day 2.

He will win paid entry into the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens division of his choice, a Skeeter/Yamaha boat package with a Minn Kota trolling motor and Humminbird electronics, and a spot as a marshal in the 2017 GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

However, he won’t be able to serve as a marshal if he is in the Top 3 at the end of Saturday because he’ll be in his own boat as a competitor in the Classic. That honor goes to the best three competitors in the Nation Championship.

“I’ve wanted to go to the Classic since my old man took me fishing when I was 6 years old,” said Lavigne, a member of Louisiana’s Ascension Area Anglers. “I’m going out tomorrow to make the Classic and that’s it.”

Lavigne brought in the biggest limit of the tournament so far, almost double the weight of his Day 1 bag (11-14). He won the nonboater division by 13 pounds; his closest competitor was the Day 1 nonboater leader, Rick Hamer of West Virginia.

Lavigne worked with his boater partner, Naoaki Ishikawa of Japan, to come up with the best places to fish.

“I offered areas, and he decided to try them,” said Lavigne. Ishikawa, however, came in fishless.

The top angler on the boater side is Timothy Klinger of Boulder City, Nev., who has 27 pounds, 11 ounces to his credit. Just behind him is Jason Vaughn of Laurel, Del., who has 26-11.

Klinger’s ambitions are similar to Lavigne’s: He wants that Classic berth.

“This lake is fun,” Klinger said. “I would sure like to be here in March!”

The Classic is scheduled for this same body of water, Lake Conroe, March 24-26, 2017.

Klinger brought in 14-4 on Day 2, including the big bass in the boater division, a 6-pound, 13-ounce bass.
On the nonboater side, Michael Lebsack of Duluth, Minn., caught the biggest bass of the day, a 7-3, which tied the biggest bass from Thursday.

Lavigne said he’s not sure what he’s going to do on Saturday on Lake Conroe. On Thursday, he stuck to fishing hard cover in 2 to 6 feet of water. On Friday, he continued doing that, but he also added in some rocks and docks. And he was all over the lake.

“I fished everywhere, from the top of the lake to the bottom,” said Lavigne.

Several anglers tried that tactic today, whereas others stuck to places they had tried to fish in Thursday but hadn’t had success because of the wind. Still, 27 anglers had zeroes on Friday, compared to 41 on Thursday. Many have not had a hard time catching bass; their difficulty is in catching ones that are at least 16 inches, the legal minimum.

The weather on Friday was much calmer in the morning than it was on the first day. However, around noon, a cold front blew in, knocked the temperature down, produced some rain and cloud cover and picked up the wind again.

Saturday will present new challenges. The high is forecast to be 63 degrees, down nearly 20 degrees from Friday, and the skies will be clear.

Only the Top 10 boaters will join the top nonboater, Lavigne, on Saturday. The Top 10 are Timothy Klinger of Nevada; Jason Vaughn, Delaware; JJ Dickens, West Virginia; Darrell Ocamica, Idaho; Michael Boggs II, Kentucky; Danny Grantham, Alabama; Brent Long, South Carolina; Andrew Sams, Maryland; Josh Ray, Arkansas; and Mike Wolfenden, Rhode Island.

The Top 3 at the end of Saturday will earn berths in the 2017 Classic, as well as paid entry into the Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Opens series of their choice, and the B.A.S.S. Nation’s Best prize package, which is the use of a Toyota Tundra truck and a fully rigged, tournament-ready Phoenix boat for one year. A 2017 Bassmaster Elite Series berth is on the line, too.

Competition resumes Saturday from Lakeview Marina, 880 Beach Boulevard, in Conroe at 6:45 a.m. CT when the anglers take off for the final day. The weigh-in will begin at 3 p.m. CT at the same place. All events are free and open to the public.

The tournament is hosted by the Conroe Convention and Visitors Bureau.

2016 B.A.S.S. Nation Title Sponsor: Academy Sports + Outdoors

2016 B.A.S.S. Nation Presenting Sponsor: Magellan

2016 B.A.S.S. Nation Premier Sponsors: Toyota, Mercury, Yamaha, Berkley, GoPro, Huk, Humminbird, Minn Kota, Nitro Boats, Skeeter Boats, Triton Boats

2016 B.A.S.S. Nation Supporting Sponsors: Power-Pole, Rapala, Shell Rotella, Lowrance, Nationwide, Shimano, A.R.E. Truck Caps, Carhartt, Dick Cepek Tires & Wheels, Livingston Lures

About B.A.S.S.
B.A.S.S. is the worldwide authority on bass fishing and keeper of the culture of the sport, providing cutting edge content on bass fishing whenever, wherever and however bass fishing fans want to use it. Headquartered in Birmingham, Ala., the 500,000-member organization’s fully integrated media platforms include the industry’s leading magazines (Bassmaster and B.A.S.S. Times), website (Bassmaster.com), television show (The Bassmasters on ESPN2), social media programs and events. For more than 45 years, B.A.S.S. has been dedicated to access, conservation and youth fishing.

The Bassmaster Tournament Trail includes the most prestigious events at each level of competition, including the Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series, Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation presented by Magellan, Carhartt Bassmaster College Series presented by Bass Pro Shops, Costa Bassmaster High School Series presented by DICK’S Sporting Goods, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and the ultimate celebration of competitive fishing, the GEICO Bassmaster Classic presented by GoPro.

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Media Contact: JamieDay Matthews, 205-313-0945, [email protected] or Dave Precht, 205-313-0931[email protected].

2016 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan 11/17-11/19
Lake Conroe, Conroe  TX.
(BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler                     Hometown                No./lbs-oz  Pts   Total $$$

1.  Timothy Klinger        Boulder City, NV         8  27-11    0
  Day 1: 5   13-07     Day 2: 3   14-04   
2.  Jason Vaughn           Laurel, DE               7  26-11    0
  Day 1: 2   10-03     Day 2: 5   16-08   
3.  JJ Dickens             Beaver, WV               8  25-01    0
  Day 1: 3   08-03     Day 2: 5   16-14   
4.  Darrell Ocamica        Fruitland, ID            9  25-01    0
  Day 1: 5   13-06     Day 2: 4   11-11   
5.  Michael Boggs II       Portsmouth, OH           6  23-07    0
  Day 1: 5   20-10     Day 2: 1   02-13   
6.  Danny Grantham         Mobile, AL               7  22-07    0
  Day 1: 4   11-12     Day 2: 3   10-11   
7.  Brent Long             Iron Station, NC         7  21-15    0
  Day 1: 5   14-07     Day 2: 2   07-08   
8.  Andrew Sams            Easton, MD               8  21-10    0
  Day 1: 3   08-10     Day 2: 5   13-00   
9.  Josh Ray               Alexander, AR            7  20-06    0
  Day 1: 3   10-12     Day 2: 4   09-10   
10. Mike Wolfenden         Warwick, RI              7  19-15    0
  Day 1: 5   14-12     Day 2: 2   05-03   
11. Nate Caldwell          Ft Collins, CO           7  19-10    0
  Day 1: 3   07-15     Day 2: 4   11-11   
12. Greg Vance             Dubuque, IA              6  18-09    0
  Day 1: 5   15-11     Day 2: 1   02-14   
13. Ivan Morris            Virginia Beach, VA       6  18-05    0
  Day 1: 5   12-07     Day 2: 1   05-14   
14. Jay Evans              Corvallis, MT            6  18-03    0
  Day 1: 1   03-02     Day 2: 5   15-01   
15. Arnie Lane             Lakeland, FL             6  17-03    0
  Day 1: 2   07-10     Day 2: 4   09-09   
16. Rob Digh               Denver, NC               6  16-15    0
  Day 1: 2   08-01     Day 2: 4   08-14   
17. Nicholas Papotto       Meriden , CT             6  16-05    0
  Day 1: 4   11-06     Day 2: 2   04-15   
18. David Cavell           Prairieville, LA         4  15-13    0
  Day 1: 1   02-05     Day 2: 3   13-08   
19. Matt Pangrac           Norman , OK              5  15-03    0
  Day 1: 3   09-14     Day 2: 2   05-05   
20. Brian Brooks           Mt Epraim, NJ            6  14-12    0
  Day 1: 3   07-14     Day 2: 3   06-14   
21. Dave McCoy             Plattsmouth, NE          4  13-09    0
  Day 1: 3   10-15     Day 2: 1   02-10   
22. Mark Lodge             Alfred, ME               4  11-08    0
  Day 1: 2   05-14     Day 2: 2   05-10   
23. William Lortz II       Rochester, NY            3  11-04    0
  Day 1: 1   03-08     Day 2: 2   07-12   
24. Kalib Lund             Glendale, AZ             4  10-03    0
  Day 1: 2   05-04     Day 2: 2   04-15   
25. Ron Mace               Kennewick, WA            4  10-02    0
  Day 1: 3   07-02     Day 2: 1   03-00   
26. Bubba O'Neill          Evanston, WY             4  09-10    0
  Day 1: 3   07-02     Day 2: 1   02-08   
27. Danny Carter           Hernando, MS             2  09-02    0
  Day 1: 1   03-07     Day 2: 1   05-11   
28. David Mays             Portland, OR             4  09-02    0
  Day 1: 2   04-14     Day 2: 2   04-04   
29. Jon Harshbarger        Kaufman, TX              3  08-14    0
  Day 1: 2   06-03     Day 2: 1   02-11   
30. Brett Logue            Lincoln, NE              3  07-12    0
  Day 1: 2   05-15     Day 2: 1   01-13   
31. Brian Mailot           Columbus, OH             2  07-07    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   07-07   
32. Kurt Glass             Grovetown, GA            2  07-06    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   07-06   
33. Grayson Smith          Clarksville, TN          3  07-05    0
  Day 1: 2   04-13     Day 2: 1   02-08   
34. Joe Burchill           Brighton , MA            2  07-01    0
  Day 1: 1   04-02     Day 2: 1   02-15   
35. Ryan Buttermore        Leetsdale, PA            3  06-13    0
  Day 1: 2   04-14     Day 2: 1   01-15   
36. Luca Salvato           Curtarolo ITALY          2  06-04    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   06-04   
37. Edgar Romero           Leon MEXICO              3  06-03    0
  Day 1: 2   04-05     Day 2: 1   01-14   
38. Strati Orphanides      Marondera ZIMBABWE       2  05-09    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   05-09   
39. Chris Brimager         Andover, KS              2  05-08    0
  Day 1: 1   02-13     Day 2: 1   02-11   
40. Bill Brown             Grand Junction, CO       2  05-05    0
  Day 1: 1   02-04     Day 2: 1   03-01   
41. Mark Lassagne          San Ramon, CA            2  05-02    0
  Day 1: 1   03-03     Day 2: 1   01-15   
42. Randy Campbell         Sandia Park, NM          2  05-01    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   05-01   
43. Albert Collins         Nacogdoches, TX          2  05-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   05-00   
44. Mark Cavanaugh         Port Perry ONTARIO CANA  2  04-13    0
  Day 1: 2   04-13     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Tom Kiefer             Fowlerville, MI          1  04-12    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   04-12   
46. Josh Nelson            Saint Bonifacius, MN     2  04-09    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   04-09   
46. Mark Nies              Cannelton, IN            2  04-09    0
  Day 1: 2   04-09     Day 2: 0   00-00   
48. Adrian Luff            George Western Cape SOU  2  04-07    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   04-07   
49. Ted Heitschmidt        Tomahawk, WI             1  03-14    0
  Day 1: 1   03-14     Day 2: 0   00-00   
50. John Plumlee           Branson, MO              1  03-10    0
  Day 1: 1   03-10     Day 2: 0   00-00   
51. Tony Beck              Social Circle, GA        1  02-14    0
  Day 1: 1   02-14     Day 2: 0   00-00   
52. Michael Kazmierczak    Lemont, IL               1  02-09    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   02-09   
53. Filipe Almeida         Coimbra PORTUGAL         0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
53. Mitchell Cone          Willow Tree New South W  0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
53. Mark Dimarzio          Franconia, NH            0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
53. Neil Engelbrecht       Windhoek Khomas NAMIBIA  0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
53. Scott Green            Waterbury Center, VT     0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
53. Naoaki Ishikawa        Akiruno Tokyo JAPAN      0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals
Day   #Limits    #Fish      Weight
 1         7       107       318-13
 2         4       102       303-08
----------------------------------
          11       209       622-05
2016 Academy Sports + Outdoors B.A.S.S. Nation Championship presented by Magellan 11/17-11/19
Lake Conroe, Conroe  TX.
(NON_BOATER) Standings Day 2

Angler                     Hometown                No./lbs-oz  Pts Total $$$

1.  Ryan Lavigne           Gonzales, LA             9  34-03    0  $45,585.00
  Day 1: 4   11-14     Day 2: 5   22-05   
2.  Rick Hamer             Charleston, WV           8  21-04    0   $1,500.00
  Day 1: 5   14-07     Day 2: 3   06-13   
3.  Justin Barnes          MONROEVILLE, AL          5  18-06    0   $1,000.00
  Day 1: 2   09-03     Day 2: 3   09-03   
4.  Mike Coleman           Pinoeer, CA              4  16-00    0     $500.00
  Day 1: 2   08-12     Day 2: 2   07-04   
5.  Dan Carrigan           Citrus Springs, FL       5  15-14    0     $500.00
  Day 1: 2   06-15     Day 2: 3   08-15   
6.  Jonathan Robla         Norawood, NY             4  12-05    0     $250.00
  Day 1: 2   05-15     Day 2: 2   06-06   
7.  Jarrod Sherwood        Vassar, MI               3  12-04    0     $250.00
  Day 1: 1   05-05     Day 2: 2   06-15   
8.  Brock Enmeier          Enid, OK                 4  12-01    0     $250.00
  Day 1: 3   09-11     Day 2: 1   02-06   
9.  Josh Cotier            Clinton, MA              4  11-13    0     $250.00
  Day 1: 2   04-05     Day 2: 2   07-08   
10. Michael Lebsack        Duluth, MN               2  10-15    0     $750.00
  Day 1: 1   03-12     Day 2: 1   07-03   
11. Shane Stiehl           Winner, SD               4  10-08    0     $250.00
  Day 1: 3   08-05     Day 2: 1   02-03   
12. Bradley Rilling        Brooks, GA               4  09-08    0     $250.00
  Day 1: 2   04-11     Day 2: 2   04-13   
13. Lee Wubbels            Lincoln, NE              3  08-12    0
  Day 1: 1   03-04     Day 2: 2   05-08   
14. Tim Frohlich Jr        Independence, KY         2  08-09    0
  Day 1: 2   08-09     Day 2: 0   00-00   
15. Stefan Adamchick       Monterrey MEXICO         3  08-09    0
  Day 1: 1   03-13     Day 2: 2   04-12   
16. Michael Duarte         Middle River, MD         3  08-05    0
  Day 1: 2   04-10     Day 2: 1   03-11   
17. Andre Fidalgo          Parreira PORTUGAL        2  07-14    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   07-14   
18. Dave Frost             Apopka, FL               2  07-12    0
  Day 1: 1   03-14     Day 2: 1   03-14   
19. Jake Weaver            Columbia Falls, MT       2  07-03    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   07-03   
20. David Porter           Rockwall, TX             2  07-02    0
  Day 1: 1   03-07     Day 2: 1   03-11   
21. Jody Adkins            Navarre, OH              2  06-13    0
  Day 1: 1   02-12     Day 2: 1   04-01   
22. Ron Hanhart            Harare Mashonaland ZIMB  1  06-09    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   06-09   
23. Chris Brewer           Jay, ME                  1  06-08    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   06-08   
24. Amos Dixon             Camden, DE               2  05-08    0
  Day 1: 1   02-12     Day 2: 1   02-12   
25. Scott Hausman          Las Vegas, NV            2  05-03    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   05-03   
25. Kevin Noel             Burlington, CT           2  05-03    0
  Day 1: 2   05-03     Day 2: 0   00-00   
27. Daniel Elsner          Green Bay, WI            1  05-03    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   05-03   
28. Kyle Coffman           Minbun, IA               2  04-11    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 2   04-11   
29. Curt Hughes            Greenwood, IN            2  04-09    0
  Day 1: 1   02-09     Day 2: 1   02-00   
30. Jeremy Arnold          Concord, NH              1  03-02    0
  Day 1: 1   03-02     Day 2: 0   00-00   
31. Riley Hansen           Sandy , UT               1  03-01    0
  Day 1: 1   03-01     Day 2: 0   00-00   
32. Zackery Shaff          Untion, KY               1  02-15    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   02-15   
33. Justin Harris          McPherson, KS            1  02-14    0
  Day 1: 1   02-14     Day 2: 0   00-00   
33. Bob Wetzler            Rutland, VT              1  02-14    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   02-14   
35. Steven Conde           Chepachet, RI            1  02-09    0
  Day 1: 1   02-09     Day 2: 0   00-00   
35. Jon Hickey             Weiser, ID               1  02-09    0
  Day 1: 1   02-09     Day 2: 0   00-00   
37. Becca Golightly        Preston, ID              1  02-08    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   02-08   
37. Jeff Hager             Alexis, NC               1  02-08    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   02-08   
39. Creighton Sawyer       Houston, AR              1  02-05    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   02-05   
40. Bert Cooper            Huntsville, TN           1  02-04    0
  Day 1: 1   02-04     Day 2: 0   00-00   
41. John Bernard           McKees Rocks, PA         1  02-03    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   02-03   
42. Chris Barrett          Vaughan ONTARIO CANADA   1  02-02    0
  Day 1: 1   02-02     Day 2: 0   00-00   
43. Danny Fourr            Waterflow, NM            1  02-01    0
  Day 1: 1   02-01     Day 2: 0   00-00   
43. John Santos            Penrose, CO              1  02-01    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 1   02-01   
45. Loren Bryant           Phoenix, AZ              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Addam Gross            Cove, OR                 0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Garry Harman           Adare Queensland AUSTRA  0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Edward Owens           Hemingway, SC            0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Mauro Salvato          Curtarolo ITALY          0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Christopher Selsor Jr  Sparta, MO               0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Michael Valentine      Laurel , MS              0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Kevin Voss             Bensenville, IL          0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Yuya Wakebe            Odawara Kanagawa JAPAN   0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Alec Williams          Windhoek NAMIBIA         0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00   
45. Larry Witt             Forest, VA               0  00-00    0
  Day 1: 0   00-00     Day 2: 0   00-00